Welcome

arrlAn ARRL Affiliated Special Service Club

The Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club is a general-purpose club with the goal of promoting and supporting the educational and operational aspects of ham radio through ham radio classes, on-the-air events, and hands-on activity. THE SATURDAY BREAKFAST MEETINGS ARE HELD  AT PERKINS IN GARDNER EACH SATURDAY. YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US 6:30 AM TO ~8:30AMThe monthly business meeting is the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is a hybrid meeting in which you can attend in person at Perkins in Gardner or you can attend via a Zoom connection. Additionally, the club holds a Tech Night presentation via Zoom the last Thursday evening of each month at 7:30 pm. Log in to the web site and select the "Links/Zoom Links" menu to find meeting links or contact a club officer. 

KS QSO Party Sign Up Sheet

KS QSO 2023

SFTARC (KSØKS) Kansas QSO Party (8/29 and 8/30)

Sign up to operate as KSØKS via the "Sign Up Sheet" link.

Upcoming Events

18 Aug 2026;
08:00PM -
SFTARC Net
21 Aug 2026;
12:00PM - 07:00PM
Joplin Hamfest 1
22 Aug 2026;
08:00AM - 02:00PM
Joplin Hamfest 2
22 Aug 2026;
09:00AM - 03:00PM
Huntsfille, AL Hamfest
22 Aug 2026;
09:00AM - 03:00PM
Huntsfille, AL Hamfest
25 Aug 2026;
08:00PM -
SFTARC Net
27 Aug 2026;
07:30PM - 08:30PM
Tech Night - B-25 Mitchell Bomber and the Effect of WWII on Ham Radio
wb0cnk

     The club is off to a great start with a likely record number of 23 students in our Extra Class License sessions this year, which are being held at the Salvation Army in Olathe. The Kansas Day Special Event was enjoyed by members who operated from their home stations this year, as the poor weather precluded the usual festivities at the Sawyer Antenna Facility.  Club members also had a great time supporting Kansas's turn at operating as station W1AW/Ø from February 4th-10th, answering calls from across the US as part of the ongoing ARRL America250 Worked All States this year. Our thanks to member Jeff, KSØJD, who coordinated the entire Kansas on the air operation. Watch for the second (last) opportunity to operate later in the fall.
     Take time to enjoy club camaraderie this year by participating in club activities listed on our website calendar. https://sftarc.org/index.php/calendar-jevent  The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve POTA and Ensorfest are quickly approaching in May. Be sure to help fill the positions our club is responsible for during EnsorFest, as well as being a docent during the months our club conducts the tours at the museum. This is a great way to learn about the rich amateur radio history of the Ensor family. A planning committee for Field Day in June will begin forming at the March business meeting. Everyone is invited to share your ideas and be involved in this enjoyable outdoor event. 

     I encourage you to take advantage of the trips the club is coordinating for travel to some of the best regional conventions and hamfests held throughout the year. A sign-up sheet was started at the February meeting and will be available at breakfasts and meetings.

You can also sign up here:    Hamfest Signup    

     Watch for new activities at Ensor Park and Museum throughout the year. They may take the form of demonstrations of satellites, military radio gear, antennas, QRP, or other topics.  I encourage you to operate in public service events this year. This not only supports our community, but it is a great way to learn about emergency communications

     Our member Ray, KØRSE, has provided a listing of Public Service event dates and times as well as who to contact if you're interested.

Click here to view the list:  KC Public Service Events List    

Trail Bytes

Military Radio - Pat, KFØOYS
13 Aug 2026

Pat, KFØOYS presented a talk on Military Radios for the SFTARC July 2026 Tech Night.He presented details for a simple radio made from readily available parts.

Kansas QSO Party Signup
08 Aug 2026

      Good Day to the Santa Fe Trail Amateur Radio Club.  It is that time of year again for the Kansas QSO party.  I am Jeff Darby,...

FD in Clolorado - Ex Honeywell-Olathe Hams
12 Jul 2026

Several retired Honeywell-Olathe employees now live in Colorado and belong to their local Chaffee Lake Amateur Radio Association.  The local paper wrote up this very...

Field Day at a Ham Radio Landmark
03 Jul 2026

Brian, WQØA, presented a video on his YouTube channel titled "Field Day at a Ham Radio Landmark | Ensor Museum, Santa Fe Trail ARC & More". The video started with an...

Introduction to Grounding for Ham Radio
02 May 2026

At our April 30th, 2026, tech night, George McCarville, WB0CNK, covered essential grounding techniques for ham radio, focusing on safety, lightning, and RF grounding. Key...

Understanding 12V DC Power for Radio Amateurs
30 Apr 2026

     In the March 2026 tech night discussion, Tom Apalenek WA2IVD, highlighted that the commonly referenced "12V" is actually 13.8V, accounting for a ±15%...

Tech Night - 3D Printing
08 Mar 2026

This is a presentation of 3D printing and the technologies involved in the process. It was presented by Howard Cripe - N0AZ for the February 26th Tech Night of the Santa Fe...

Chasing Radiosondes or Radios from Heaven!
30 Jan 2026

The SFTARC Tech Night for January 2026 was a presentation by Mike Laney (KEØGHU) on Chasing Radiosondes. Mike provided details about the devices used, web sites used...